VA Rideshare Program
Veterans enrolled in the Butler VA’s homeless program may be eligible for transportation help thanks to a program called Rideshare.
In August 2021, VA started Rideshare nationwide, a collaborative that uses Uber or Lyft transportation for Veterans enrolled in VHA’s Homeless Program. Eligible Veterans can use the program to help with getting to and from their place of employment, healthcare and home following their discharge from care.
It did not work in Butler.
“We struggled to fulfill needs in the Butler area due to a lack of local Uber/Lyft drivers,” shared Danelle Perkins, Butler VA Rideshare Coordinator. “One time we had a Veteran travel to Mercer County, but he could not get back home because there was no driver availability there.”
Butler VA’s Homeless Team approached the national VA team with their concerns related to lack of drivers in the rural Butler VA community and were given permission to research (and then implement) a program with a local agency.
A few months later, a contract was secured with Alliance for Nonprofit Resources (ANR) – the first VA facility in our region to set up a contract with another entity besides Uber/Lyft.
“The program has been very successful! 396 rides for Veterans have been completed since January,” said Perkins. “ANR covers Butler and Armstrong Counties (and Lawrence County on a more limited basis). We are interested in possibly expanding to cover Lawrence and Mercer counties in the future too.”
The program has received positive feedback from both Butler VA homeless case managers and Veterans, including Robert Persin, U.S. Army Veteran. Persin now owns a car and does not need the program, but at the time it was extremely helpful for him.
“It was a godsend,” said Persin. “I was able to get to work and back home and didn’t have to walk in the rain.”
Rideshare aims to provide help to the most vulnerable at risk of and homeless Veterans. It creates greater access to more than health care. Eligible and interested Veterans work directly with their homeless case manager to determine transportation needs and schedule rides.
What Veterans Who Are Homeless or At Risk of Homelessness Should do for Help
Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness can contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 4AID-VET (877-424-3838) for assistance.
If Veterans do not have access to a phone or the internet, they should visit the Butler VA, or their closest VA medical center. A VA Homeless Program coordinator will work with Veterans to assess all available resources to support each Veteran, including Rideshare. There is a coordinator at all VA medical centers.
Readers who know of homeless or at risk of homeless Veterans can help by getting this information to them.